Auburn’s Pickleball Community Growth: Auburn, Alabama, is now home to a dedicated pickleball shop called Dink & Volley Pickleball. Opened by Deirdre Hill, the store supports the growing pickleball community in the Auburn-Opelika area. It relocated from Opelika to Auburn after one year in business and offers pickleball gear, apparel, gifts, and more.
Meeting a Community Need
Dink & Volley Pickleball is located at 1345 Opelika Road, Suite 9, in Auburn, Alabama. The shop is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is closed on Sundays.
With about 800 members in the Opelika Pickleball Club and around 300 in the Auburn Pickleball Club, the local demand for pickleball equipment and merchandise is strong. That demand led Deirdre Hill to open a store focused entirely on the sport.
“I mean, you could go to Dicks, or Academy, or even Amazon and get what you need, but there’s such a big community here,” said Deirdre Hill, owner of Dink & Volley.
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A New Beginning in Auburn
When Hill moved with her family from Atlanta to Auburn, she asked locals where they played tennis. Instead, she discovered nearly everyone was playing pickleball.
The experience led her to explore the sport and see the need for a store that served local players. Dink & Volley first opened in Opelika in October 2023 and later moved to Auburn to better serve its customers.
“‘It’s just been fun being involved in the community, getting to meet great people in here that may not know anything about pickleball.” – (hill)
Community Recognition and Offerings
Dink & Volley was named Emerging Business of the Year by the Opelika Chamber of Commerce last year. The business is woman-owned and actively involved in the Opelika and Auburn Chambers of Commerce.
The store features a wide range of products:
Pickleball paddles and balls
Nets and paddle covers
Equipment bags and hats
Athletic apparel and blankets
Themed cups, signs, and ornaments
Children’s pickleball clothes and mini paddles
Jewelry, including Kendra Scott pickleball pieces
Auburn University and Lilly Pulitzer merchandise
A few tennis-related gift items
A mini pickleball court inside the store
Dink & Volley is the only store outside Texas to carry the Kendra Scott pickleball paddle.
“The idea always was to be 100% pickleball and have the equipment, and then have the apparel, and then all the lifestyle goods. But I also play tennis. I have a lot of people in my life that still play tennis that don’t play pickleball. And so I wanted to have some things over there for them to come in and pick up gifts, because there’s really not a tennis gift shop around here either.” – (hill)
A Bright Future for Pickleball in Auburn
Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for four years. With dedicated clubs and a large community of players in the Auburn-Opelika area, Dink & Volley is expected to keep growing.
The shop not only supports the sport with gear and gifts but also brings the community together through its welcoming space.
News in Brief: Auburn’s Pickleball Community Growth
Dink & Volley Pickleball has opened in Auburn, Alabama, to serve the area’s growing pickleball community. Owned by Deirdre Hill, the store offers paddles, apparel, gifts, and more. The business moved from Opelika and continues to support pickleball and tennis fans in the region.
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